NYU student, ex-Korean marine paralyzed from waist down after crash with armed carjackers
A New York University student and South Korea Marine Corps veteran was left paralyzed from the waist down after armed carjackers crashed into his Uber in South Philadelphia last month.
Finance major Junoh Kim, 23, was less than a month into his summer analyst role at New York City-based M&A adviser Klema Capital when the carjackers rammed into his Uber while fleeing police on June 23 near the University of Pennsylvania, according to a GoFundMe page organized by his loved ones.
“Junoh is currently paralyzed in his lower body from waist down and has limited use of his hands (left is stronger than his right),” the fundraiser reads. “The extent to his recovery is uncertain, but we will remain hopeful.”
The young banking hopeful’s big dreams were slashed after the crash, prompting an indefinite leave of absence from school and work.
His road to recovery remains “uncertain,” his family told The Post Wednesday.
“Despite these challenges, Junoh remains determined to one day make a significant impact in the financial services industry,” his family said. “He sincerely dreams of walking again one day and returning the love and support he has received to all his loved ones.”
Kim was visiting friends in Philadelphia at the time of the crash, his family said, adding that he is familiar with the city as he attended the University of Pennsylvania during a management and technology summer institute in 2019 while he was in high school.
He was a marine sergeant and military interpreter in South Korea before leaving to pursue his bachelor’s degree at NYU’s Stern School of Business in 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile. The aspiring investment banker is also a fellow at the Korea Finance Society in New York.
The GoFundMe fundraiser has raised $72,785 of its $100,000 goal to date. All GoFundMe donations will go toward Kim’s medical bills, rehab costs, support services and home mobility modifications, organizers said.
“This accident has opened my eyes to the outpouring of love and support from so many people,” Kim said in a text message to The Post. “It has inspired me to not only overcome this challenge myself but also to become someone who can reach out to and assist socially and physically vulnerable individuals who need care and support.
“I see this as both my way of repaying those who have prayed for and supported me, and as my life’s purpose moving forward,” Kim added. “I’d like to share what my father has instilled in me since I was a young boy: if I don’t give up, it’s not over.”
The tragic turn of events began about 3 a.m. when four masked perps in a dark SUV boosted a 2022 BMW X7 at gunpoint on the 4900 block of Baltimore Street, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department told The Post.
“Don’t lose your life, old head, get out of the car,” a woman inside the SUV told the driver of the BMW, police said.
The carjackers stopped to refuel, crossed a median strip and sped onto I-76 before losing control of the vehicle, police said.
The BMW subsequently slammed into Kim’s Uber at the intersection near the 3800 block of Spruce Street and hit a tree, according to cops.
Four men from the stolen vehicle were arrested, police said: two 15-year-olds, one 16-year-old and 30-year-old Antoinne Patton of Philadelphia.
The teens were hit with aggravated assault, carjacking and related charges; Patton was charged with criminal conspiracy and related counts.
